Days Like These
by Wolffie12
Summary: Kiba will have to decide for himself whether reality can actually be better than his dreams or if he should have just stayed in bed. KibaxHinata


**Author's Note: **I'm back! It's been a very long couple of years and I want to send out my deepest apologies to all those people who wanted more stories out of me. All the reviews were awesome. It was always a nice surprise to open up my email and see that someone had enjoyed my writing.

This new story is kind of a sequel to Nights Like These but can also stand on its own. I hope you enjoy it.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any characters affiliated with the show. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.

**Days Like These**

The sun glared in through the window. It was especially bright this morning. Not that I noticed it right away.

In fact, I probably would have stayed asleep if a certain furry, wet-nosed friend hadn't disturbed my slumber. A cold spot on a once warm foot would be enough to wake anyone. The bonus of 5 kilograms pouncing on my stomach just added to the wakeup call.

Akamaru licking at my face finally caused my eyes to flutter open while my body to groaned its disapproval.

Rolling over, I could see out the window. Why did the sun have to be so damn bright? It successfully blocked out all thoughts of my wonderful dream. My mind was cleared of any thoughts other than the glaring brilliance.

Slowly I sat up. For some reason my body didn't want to listen to my brain. Akamaru sensed this because he jumped away as my feet hit the icy floor and I struggled to stand. My attempt was painfully unsuccessful; ask the two knees I landed on. I suppose it could have been worse though. My face hadn't been pulverized on the floor and I had ended up eye level at the window.

From here I could see all of Konoha. People were out and about. Kids were running around playing while their parents shopped and did errands. The sun was just passed the tops of the trees in the park. The park… why…?

"Hey Akamaru, did we go to the park yesterday?"

I turned to look at him but he had already pushed the door open and gone downstairs.

"Well, maybe it was just a dream."

My thoughts began to drift away. There I was playing catch in the moonlight with Akamaru. There was a big tree, and… the smell of lotus blossoms. Then she was there… some walking and then a house. It was her house. We were standing on her doorstep and then we… we…. Suddenly my stomach let out a growl of hunger interrupting my concentration.

The sun had moved a good distance in the sky above.

Grudgingly I stood up. Whatever my mind was trying to tell me would have to wait until I'd eaten breakfast, or at least woken up some more.

Akamaru was barking at me from the bottom of the stairs. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming already." My stomach growled again. I threw on some clean clothes before I jumped down the flight of steps at a sprint.

The kitchen was empty except for my dog. He'd rummaged into a lower cabinet for his bowl. I bent to scratch his head. "What do you want for breakfast, boy?" He looked at me like I was stupid. I rolled my eyes back at him before filling his bowl to the brim with his favorite kibble. My hand was nearly chewed off in Akamaru's rush to eat.

"Geez… slow the hell down, would you? What's your hurry anyway?" I asked him out loud while poking through the fridge for my own food. Not much there… Oh hey! Yes! Hana put the leftover steak from dinner in here. "You want some of this, too, boy?" I held up the steak to show him.

The room was empty.

"…Where'd you…" A faint barking was coming from the yard. It was too high pitched to be any dog of ours but Akamaru.

Stepping into the yard, steak still in hand, I could see him running laps. What's gotten into him today? His continued barking alerted me to the fact he wanted me to start running with him.

"Can't a guy eat breakfast anymore?"

His growling reply meant no.

I shoved the steak between my teeth and took off in a full out sprint around the yard. The steak didn't last much past the fourth lap around as I ate and ran.

Soon the running turned into more of a contest than the actual training it was meant to be. First Akamaru was winning; then I was. It went back and forth for several hours. Eventually my stomach began rumbling. Akamaru could go forever with little food but there's no way I was going to, especially since the kitchen was only a half yard's length away.

I collapsed into a heap on the ground panting for air. "Okay Akamaru, break time."

He yipped at me in a tone that meant I needed to get up off my ass. I moved to tell him off but only just in time to see him jump over the compound's outer fence.

I growled.

My stomach growled.

I sighed. "He's in so much trouble." I hopped the fence in pursuit. It wasn't long before I caught his scent and from the direction it was going he was headed to our favorite park. That was definitely where he was going.

By taking a shortcut, I was hoping to cut him off before he entered the park and go home. Unfortunately for me, I made it there, but not first. His scent was all around. I sniffed the air again trying to get a better read on him.

It was too late.

My face ate dirt when Akamaru pounced me from behind. He'd even jumped from a tree for more force. "Ow… hey!"

I rolled him over. His pounce had been the beginning of an all out wrestling match. Akamaru nipped. I'd push and roll. He'd scratch. I'd jump and dodge.

It was mid-afternoon when we both collapsed into the soft green grass under a giant tree. "Haha! I guess that was close enough to training for today. Hand-to-paw combat practice."

I stretched out and looked up to the sky. It was the bluest I'd seen in ages. Small white clouds floated sparingly by.

"You know Akamaru… sometimes Shikamaru has the right idea."

Whether it was the actual cloud watching or the fact that I was physically exhausted from the days activities, I don't know. My eyes were growing heavy but my mind was growing restless. The clouds fanned out into shapes I could clearly picture. A kunai. A fish. A lotus blossom. A dog bone. A… wait. A lotus blossom? Why does that seem so familiar… so recent? I scanned back across the sky. The breeze had already distorted the shape.

"Stupid." My head was just messing with me. It was making me see and smell those flowers at every turn. I sat up abruptly jostling Akamaru who had curled up at my side. "Those were in my dream last night!"

Flashes zoomed through my memory. The park. Playing fetch. Hinata. My coat around her shoulders. A house. Hinata's house. A kiss. My memory hit me full force. It seemed like those things had really happened. It was so real.

"There's no way." Akamaru just looked at me. "There's no way," I repeated, standing up. "Let's go eat some dinner, boy. I'm starving."

I had to shake the feeling I was having. Too much energy was focused on the thoughts of what Hinata would be like, compliant and soft in my arms, if I kissed her like in my dream. "So soft," I murmured.

Akamaru nipping my ankle brought me back from my reverie. "Damn it. I have to get my mind off that stupid dream."

Too many times thoughts such as these would land me in icy cold showers or have me locked in my room with my hand down my shorts. Now was not a good time for my mind to play games.

Literally shaking my head side to side, I looked around me. Akamaru and I weren't too far from Ichiraku's.

"How about some ramen for dinner?" He yipped his approval.

Upon entering I could smell the mouth-watering food. My stomach growled.

"Hungry?" The voice came from directly behind me.

I let my eyes go wide in surprise for the briefest second. After all these years of being a ninja he was one of the very few people who knew how to sneak up on me like that. But it wasn't really sneaking, I guess. That's just how Shino was. He knew how my senses worked and what their weaknesses were. He moved like a ninja at all times, putting himself in any small advantage he could position-wise. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he had surprised me, though.

"Quite. Akamaru and I were training for a good part of the day."

"Hn."

I raised my eyebrows at him. The response wasn't in its usual tone. "What?" I barked at him. My stomach was complaining and I didn't have the patience to figure out what Shino was playing at.

"Didn't say anything."

"Damn it, Shino. I'm not stupid enough to not realize something's up. What in the hell is going on?"

"Hn."

I clenched my fists

"Buy your ramen. I'll wait."

Scowling I heeded his words. Sitting at the counter, I ordered a large bowl for myself and got an extra empty bowl to split it with Akamaru.

"Okay, boy," I looked down to him at my feet. "This is your last human food for the week." He yipped a response as I took the two bowls from the girl at the counter. I dumped some into his bowl and set it on the ground. Akamaru gave my hand a quick lick before going to his dinner.

Looking back up at Shino who had leaned against the counter next to me I began to eat my own meal.

"Now tell me what's going on. You obviously aren't here to eat. And I know you didn't just randomly run into me with the way you came up behind me. You were looking for me."

"It wasn't for anything really."

I glared at him. "That's bullshit."

He turned his gaze toward the street.

We were silent as I finished the ramen in my bowl. When it was empty I shoved it away and lay my chopsticks down.

"Shino," I sighed. "Really. What happened? What's going on?" I gave him a hard look.

Akamaru stopped eating; he stared up at the two of us. Minutes passed. Shino stared at the street. I stared at Shino. Akamaru stared at me. We didn't move. Everything around the three of us phased out to me. Movements of the civilians and other ninja didn't register anymore. My pulse quickened. My muscles tensed. I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead. Something was wrong and it was causing my adrenaline to pump faster through me. Standing up, my hands slammed on to the counter. All of my patience was gone.

"Shino! Stop messing around! Tell me…"

"It's Hinata." The interruption stopped my rant. "You need to go see Hinata."

"H-Hinata? What happened to her? Is she okay?" My mind raced through dozens of unimaginable scenarios.

Shino pushed off the counter and started to leave. "She's probably back at the Hyuga compound by now." And with that he left. I was too stunned to stop him. What had happened to Hinata? Was she hurt? God. I would kill whoever hurt her.

Numbly I paid my bill. I scooped Akamaru into my arms and walked out to the crowded street. It was just before sunset.

Before I realized it, my feet had taken off at a run toward the Hyuga compound. In no time at all I could see the top of their wall just above the nearby rooftops.

Heart still racing I turned the corner onto the main gate's street and went at a dead sprint for it.

*Thud*

I was sent sprawling to the ground, Akamaru still in tow.

"Would you please watch where you are going?"

That icy tone could freeze anyone in their tracks. Looking up to meet his irritated gaze, I met white eyes. Neji Hyuga's scowl grew at the lack of an answer.

"Hinata!"

Neji's eyebrows quirked upwards.

"Where is she?" I clarified.

"In her ro…" I sprinted into the compound before he could finish his sentence. "..om. What in the world?"

I didn't care what Neji said or did. All that mattered right now was getting to Hinata.

The Hyuga compound is like a giant maze of houses. Luckily the house I wanted was by far the largest and prominently featured in front of the main gate. Her room is through the main room to the center courtyard then the third door to the left.

I ran across the wooden floorboards and slid to a stop in front of her room. The sliding door smacked against the frame when I threw it open and came face to face with her.

"Hin…ata?" It wasn't meant to be a shout but that's what came out. What was she doing walking around? Wasn't she hurt?

Her eyes went wide and confused. "Kiba, what are you… why are you here?" She was speaking and moving just fine.

Relief washed over me. I collapsed into a heap while setting Akamaru aside. She was okay, looking at me strangely, but okay. Hinata crouched down to my eye level. Her cool hand reached out and felt my forehead. A blush raced to my cheeks but not noticeably so.

"No fever. Hmmm. Kiba? Kiba?"

My gaze was locked on her. My heart was pounding. Before she could question me further I grasped the hand on my forehead and pulled her to me. Hinata lost her balance and awkwardly landed in my lap.

Rough, chapped lips met with soft, delicate ones.

Again and again. I couldn't get enough of her.

The smell of her. The feel of her fingers gripping my shoulders and hair. The way she sighed into me.

Finally she pulled away. I didn't let her go too far. My nose found her neck. I nuzzled it as she tried to recapture her breath.

"I was so worried about you. I thought… I don't know exactly, but Shino made it seem like you were…" my voice trailed off in favor of kissing her behind her ear.

"Shino?"

"Yeah." My lips ghosting down her jaw line must have been making it hard for her to think so I pulled back. "Shino said I needed to come find you. Made it sound like you were hurt or dying or something."

Her arms snaked around my body to hold me closer. Pale lavender-white eyes looked up to mine as she leaned up to kiss the corner of my mouth. "All I told Shino this morning is, that if he saw you before I did, to please tell you I wanted to talk to you. He must not have thought you would jump to such wild ideas like you did." She giggled.

"That bastard! He did this on purpose. When I see him he's a dead man!" I shifted to see Akamaru laying in the yard while still holding Hinata in my lap. "Akamaru, the next time we see Shino I give you full permission to use him as a tree."

Hinata laughed. "Come on Kiba. Let's go for a walk. There's some stuff we should talk about."

"Sure." I grinned at her.

Untangling our limbs from our seated position wasn't easy but we finally managed to stand up. She left my side to scoop Akamaru up. I grinned again. Not just anybody could pick him up without being bitten.

We walked out of her house and through the compound gates. There was a park not far from here. Nothing was said as we approached it side by side.

A light breeze blew past us into the darkening trees. Through the corner of my eye I saw her shiver.

"Here," I said taking my coat off. "I'll trade this for Akamaru. It's warmer than he is."

Hinata smiled. She set Akamaru on top of my head and slipped her arms into the sleeves I held out. They covered her hands even after she attempted to push them up. Smirking, I shook my head slightly. "You'll stay warmer with your entire arm in there anyway." Akamaru yipped as he looked down at the two of us from his perch.

We kept walking and fell back into silence.

"This is almost like last night all over again."

"What are you talking about?" I kept my voice low not wanting to break the serenity around us. It was too peaceful. One false move could ruin everything.

She looked up at me. "You gave me your jacket last night, too. But it's colder tonight. Are you sure you don't want it for yourself?"

Suddenly everything seemed to click in my head.

Last night! That dream from this morning actually happened! I couldn't help myself. I spun Hinata around, much to her surprise, wrapped my arms around her small frame and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Only after air became necessary again did I let her go.

Akamaru had leapt to the ground when I had made all the sudden movements. "Sorry boy," I murmured to him without losing contact with Hinata. "Look Hinata. You wanted to talk," my courage was beginning to fail so I rushed to get the rest out, "but you know my actions generally do most of the talking for me and I just want you to…"

She cut me off with a finger pressed to my lips. "I know. Walk me home?" Her arm hooked through mine as she said this.

I nodded.

"Hey Akamaru," I called out to him wherever he had disappeared to. "Let's walk my girlfriend home. We'll come back to the park tomorrow."

He barked. His tail brushed past my ankle as he ran ahead to lead the way.

Hinata snuggled into me as we set a slow pace back to the Hyuga compound. Once there she handed back my coat and leaned up to kiss me in a very déjà vu moment. I watched her enter the door before turning to go home.

"Today sure was something, huh boy?" Akamaru jumped back up to my head to ride home. Even with his added weight I felt a sense of lightness to my movements.

My bed was calling to me. I collapsed onto it ready for sleep as soon as I got home. The day had been exhausting.

It was all worth it, though. I was finally with Hinata like I'd always dreamed.


End file.
